


Secret Santa

by offensiveagentpie



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Christmas, Gen, Gift Giving, M/M, Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-22
Updated: 2015-12-22
Packaged: 2018-05-08 11:05:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5494886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/offensiveagentpie/pseuds/offensiveagentpie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hermann is terrible at giving gifts...but this year he gets an unexpected reward for finally getting it right.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Secret Santa

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [wellharkather](http://wellharkather.tumblr.com) over on tumblr for the PacRim Holiday swap.
> 
> Can also be found [here](http://offensiveagentpie.tumblr.com/post/135916306846) on my tumblr.
> 
> I do hope you enjoy it! <3

Hermann would maybe admit it on his death bed, or perhaps if he were to get very, _very_ drunk, but he is the tiniest least bit thankful for the kaiju deciding to come through the breach. Because Newton loves the kaiju; he fears them and hates them like the rest of the world, but he is also wildly passionate about the beasts. And, if it weren’t for that, Hermann never would have met him…wouldn’t have spent years working with and getting to know one of the most infuriatingly irritating and incredibly brilliant men that he’s ever known. 

He’d probably never have fallen for him either…but that’s a thought that he’s going to keep buried even deeper than his reluctant thankfulness for the kaiju.

But, despite knowing Newt probably better than anyone else on the planet, he can’t help but stare dumbfounded at the slip of notebook paper in his hand baring Newt’s name.

“I figured we’d do gift exchange at the LOCCENT/K-Sci ugly sweater party two weeks from now, that work for the two of you?” Tendo’s voice drifts through Hermann’s quickly thinking brain. “And remember,” he says with a pointed look at Newt. “This is a Secret Santa, so no blabbing.”

Across the lab from where Hermann is sitting, Newt puts a hand on his chest in mock offense. “You wound me. I’d never tell. Secret Santa is sacred, dude.”

Tendo chuckles and turns to head out of the lab.

“SO HERMANN WHO’D YOU GET?” Newt yells purposely, looking after Tendo with a grin on his face. Tendo laughs again and flips him off before the door shuts behind him.

“This is gonna be great, man,” Newt says with excitement. “I haven’t done a Secret Santa since I did one with my first PhD cohort. And it’s an ugly sweater party…I will _own_ this.”

Hermann nods and slumps a bit in his chair. Why he had agreed to participating when Tendo came to the lab, he’ll never know. He’s terrible at gift giving. He has a horrible tendency to over think things at the best of times, but when it comes to gifts, he’s even worse. It always feels like a war between ‘get them a gift card and be done with it’ and ‘oh this is great they’ll love this!’ But the first option, despite allowing the giftee to get what they want, feels too impersonal, and the second option seems _too_ personal at times. Hermann is never good at emotions when it comes to being personal.

And that doesn’t even cover the second guesses, the worrying that he’s reading people wrong, or that their reactions always seemed forced to him and he’s left to agonize over whether or not he’s royally messed things up.

It’s stress that he doesn’t need.

Newt though…he had chosen Newt’s name from Tendo’s hat. Newt has almost too many interests, and for the next two weeks as he takes brief trips outside the Shatterdome for window shopping, Hermann sees countless things that he thinks Newt would enjoy. However, a little voice will always pop up with reasons as to why it’s not a good gift, and besides, it’s a Secret Santa so it’s not like he’d ever know that it was Hermann that got him a subpar gift…right? But he doesn’t want to do that. He’d like to be able to get Newt something special, something that he would absolutely love, and then maybe he’d be brave enough to say it was him that bought it and Newt would…well. He’s not sure what Newt would do, but he clings to a vague sense of hope that it would be something good.

He sighs, huddling deeper into his parka as he passes other shoppers on the sidewalk. He’s about to give it up as a lost cause and just buy Newt a card for the local comic shop when he sees it. Hanging from a mannequin in what looks to be a small, privately owned clothing boutique, is the most ridiculous sweater Hermann has ever seen.

It’s black, with bright electric blue patterns interspersed with bright blue rows of tiny knitted kaiju. Each row is a different beast, all lined up and circling the body and sleeves of the sweater. A bolt of lightning from God himself couldn’t have made Hermann’s choice more obvious. Scarce minutes later, he’s bought the sweater and is walking back towards the Shatterdome. 

Newt has been bragging about his love for ugly sweaters since the party was announced and his love of kaiju is unprecedented. For the first time in his life, Hermann is actually feeling pretty damned good about his gift choice.

When the night of the party arrives, Hermann gets there early to place his gift on the table with as few people seeing him do so as possible. Eventually people trickle in, including Newt who makes a beeline for him almost instantly. Having opted out of the ugly sweater part of the evening, Hermann feels almost underdressed compared to Newt, who’s decked out in a garish, garland and light covered mess.

“Oh man,” he says, taking a seat next to Hermann and eyeing his plain brown and tan argyle vest. “If I had known you were wearing that, I’d never have even bothered to enter the contest.”

Hermann bristles at the jibe, but takes in Newt’s grin and rolls his eyes. “Har har, you continue to be a riot as always.”

“Of course,” he says with a shrug. “You know I can’t resist a dig at your grandpa clothes.”

“And I suppose any insults towards your current attire would only be taken as a compliment?”

Newt laughs, clapping Hermann on the shoulder, “You know me so well. Stay put, I’ll go get us some egg nog.”

When the time for gifts arrives, Hermann feels a familiar tug of anxiety. He had forgotten, up until now, that Secret Santa’s also entailed _receiving_ a gift as well as buying one. And if there was one thing he disliked more than shopping for gifts, it was having to open one and react with everyone watching him.

Luck, however, seemed to be on his side. Tendo, who was wearing a Santa hat and a sweater featuring an actual Barbie doll sewn on to appear as though she were pole dancing on the North Pole, came around as they were sitting and chatting, passing out their presents. 

“I figured it’d be just as easy to sit and open them and then show them off,” he shrugged as he handed Hermann a large flat package. “No one wants to sit and watch everyone unwrap stuff.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Newt said with mild protest, making grabby hands as Tendo handed him his package. Hermann’s heart sped up slightly.

“I did one of these at my last office job that took two hours,” Tendo says flatly. “If I ever see someone unwrap a set of shot glasses or ‘the book they’ve been wanting to read for ages’ again, it’ll be too soon. Open your gift and be merry.”

Newt shrugs, before turning towards Hermann. “You uh…why don’t you go first, Herms?”

Hermann wants to protest, but that would only take longer and draw more attention to himself, so he does his best to ignore Tendo and Newt’s watchful eyes as he tears open the wrapping paper.

Inside is a framed piece of artwork. It’s a colorful and stylized picture of Gypsy Danger, and as he looks closer he sees that the entire picture is made up entirely of the code that he wrote, written in bold colors, infinitely tiny and perfect. It’s gorgeous.

“Oh my,” he says quietly, his fingers tracing over the glass in the frame, following the curl of numbers making up the chest plate of the jaeger.

“How do you like it?” Newt’s voice breaks Hermann out of his reverie. He’s watching Hermann with wide eyes and trying for nonchalance, but failing.

Several things click in Hermann’s mind as he remembers the bright artwork adorning Newt’s arms, art that he had bragged about designing himself.

“Newton did-did you make this?”

Again, Newt tries and fails to play it cool. “What? Why guess that? It’s supposed to be a secret, dude.”

“Yes, but only leading up to the event.”

Newt deflates a bit at that, cheeks going a little pink. “You got me there. Yeah, it was me. I wasn’t sure what to get you, so I decided to make something; I hope that it’s okay?”

“Newton, this is incredible.”

Newt smiles and sighs. “Sweet, I’m glad you like it.”

“I love it,” Hermann says before he can stop himself, Newt’s face goes red and Tendo pointedly clears his throat.

“Your turn, man, open it up.”

Newt jerks as he once again becomes aware of the gift in his hands. Hermann’s stomach drops. His gift totally pales in comparison to the wonderful piece of art he’s now holding in his hands.

You wouldn’t guess it though, if the high pitched screech that Newt lets out upon seeing the sweater is any indication.

“HOLY SHIT!” his voice is high and grating, as his mouth drops open. “This is the greatest thing I have _ever_ seen in my entire _life_! Oh my god, it’s got Trespasser, and Kaiceph and even Hundun!” he says excitedly as he turns the sweater around in his hands. “Oh my god I’m putting this on right now.”

Tendo laughs as Newt’s glasses get stuck on some of the tinsel on his current sweater in his haste to change. Once the new sweater is on, Hermann is struck rather dumb as he somehow manages to make it look _good_. The color scheme suits him, and his beaming smile certainly helps the overall effect.

“I gotta know who my Secret Santa was. I’m gonna kiss them square on the mouth for this, I swear.”

Hermann, who had been startled at Newt’s initial reaction, goes completely red in the face. 

“Tendo, you gossip hound, you have to know who it was, spill it.”

Tendo’s smirk goes impossibly more devious. “I can’t say for sure, but seeing as how Hermann looks like he’s going for a full face version of Rudolph, I’ve got a pretty good guess.”  
Newt whips around to look at Hermann, who is indeed as red as a beet. “Herms?! You got me this? Oh my god, you are the greatest.”

And with that, he lunges forward and plants an enthusiastic kiss smack on Hermann’s lips. All things considered, despite Newt’s eagerness and a slight click of teeth, it’s good. In fact it’s pretty damned great, so Hermann decides to kiss him back, if just to thank him for his gift…that’s all. It’s not taking advantage if Newt kissed him first.

There’s a flash of light just before they pull apart. Breathing fast and faces flushed they turn to see Tendo lowering his phone. “It’s not a Christmas party without at least one embarrassing photo,” he says by way of explanation.

Hermann should feel embarrassed, but he’s too busy staring at Newt’s lips. Newt seems to be doing the same to him. “Well, get ready for another photo-op then,” Newt says with a lazy grin before kissing Hermann again.

Hermann can’t think of an argument against it to save his life, so he kisses back again…he’s really damned glad he bought that sweater.


End file.
